1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrolytic apparatus, an ice making apparatus incorporating the electrolytic apparatus, and an ice making method, in particular, to an electrolytic apparatus, an ice making apparatus, and an ice making method that suppress a growth of mold (fungi) or bacteria in the ice making apparatus over a subsequent operation of the apparatus during startup of the ice making apparatus.
2. Related Art
Methods of performing electrolysis using a silver electrode for an anode, and a silver electrode or an inert electrode or other electrodes for a cathode based on dilute electrolyte solution containing chloride or tap water as raw water to generate electrolytic silver or silver nitrate are widely known techniques. For a long time, silver has been said to have bactericidal capacity, used for control of mold and bacteria, such as anti-bacteria, and used from the viewpoint of hygiene, such as sterilized water (for example, JP 2007-85699 A).
The bacterial control using silver ions of JP 2007-85699 A, an electrolyzed water generation mechanism is installed on a raw water side of the ice making apparatus. The electrolyzed water generation mechanism generates silver ions by applying direct current to a pair of silver electrodes. An internal path and ice are sterilized by supplying the electrolyzed water (ice making water) containing silver ions into the ice making apparatus to make ice.
However, JP 2007-85699 A suggests the use of electrolytic raw water, that is, tap water obtained by performing dechlorination or the like as electrolytic solution. In addition, since the reaction is slow in silver ionized water, there are problems in that mold and bacteria are likely to occur in the apparatus during startup of the ice making apparatus, and slime due to the growth of mold and bacteria is likely to occur on a bottom surface of an ice making water tank.